Bowling ball and insert



Sept. 15, 1964 v. YETTITO BOWLING BALL AND INSERT Filed June 27, 1961 INV A TTORNE Y5 Sept. 15, 1964 v. YETTITO 3,143,831

BOWLING BALL AND INSERT Filed June 27, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

A TTEENE Y3 United States Patent 3,148,881 BOWLING BALL AND INSERT Vincent Yettito, 30 S. Main St., Port Chester, N.Y. Filed June 27, 1961, Ser. No. 120,017 3 Claims. (Cl. 273-63) For precise control of the ball by the bowler, such as required in tournament play, the finger and thumb holes are conventionally bored in the ball so that the hole size, the hole inclination and the span between finger and thumb holes fit the hand of the individual bowler.

However, the requirements of the bowler change from day to day and even during the course of bowling a number of games. This is particularly true of tournament play in which muscular fatigue and swelling of the hands is pronounced. To maintain the necessary accuracy for tournament performance, individual players carry a plurality of balls having different spans, hole sizes and hole inclinations. Due to the large number of variables and the weight of bowling balls, it becomes apparent that only an approximation to the desired number of balls can be carried conveniently.

In my Patent 2,991,079 I have disclosed a bowling ball having adjustable span and adjustable finger hole inclination.

While the arrangement disclosed in my patent is efiicient for its contemplated use, I have found it desirable, particularly in strenuous tournament competition, to provide means for varying the thumb hole inclination to change the gripping characteristics of the ball as the hand muscles fatigue. This adjustment of inclination is preferably made selectively without change of span in some applications and with change of span in other applications.

It is, therefore, one object of this invention to provide a bowling ball in which the position and inclination of the finger holes may be selected and in which the inclination of the thumb hole can be selectably changed independently of or simultaneously with change of the span between the finger and thumb holes.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a bowling ball construction which may be simply adjusted without the use of tools to accommodate the ball to the user by selectable variation of the span and selectable change of the finger and thumb hole inclinations and change of span between finger and thumb holes.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out hereinafter.

A preferred embodiment of the invention selected for the purposes of illustration is shown in the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a bowling ball in accord ance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along lines 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevation view of the finger plug utilized in the ball illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an elevation view of the thumb plug used in the ball of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the bowling ball shown in FIG. 1 in another mode of operation.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, there is shown a bowling ball provided with a first cylindrical cavity 12 and a second cavity 14 extending radially inwardly from the surface of the ball. The cavity 12 is provided with a cylindrical plug 16 which fits snugly into the cavity but is Patented Sept. 15, 1964 rotatable therein about its radial axis. The ends 18, 19 of the cylindrical plug 16 are domed to match the surface of the bowling ball so that the surface will have no discontinuities caused by the plug. Similarly, the bottom 20 of the cavity is shaped to match the surface 18 of the cylindrical plug as it bears thereon. Thus, the plug fits snugly into the cavity and bottoms on a mating surface to locate the insertion depth of the plug.

. The cylindrical cavity 14 is similarly provided with an insertable plug 22 having the same outline configuration as explained in connection with the plug 16.

The plug 22 is provided with finger holes 24 extending inwardly from one end thereof at a predetermined angle from the axis of the plug and bored finger holes 26 extending inwardly from the other end of the cylindrical plug at a different angle of inclination from the plug axis. The plug 16 is provided with a thumb hole 28 bored through the entire plug. The thumb hole is centrally located at the surface 18 of the plug and is bored through the plug at an angle from the axis of the plug so that it exits at a location eccentric to the axis of the plug 16 at the other face 19.

Each plug is provided with a locating groove 30 cut into the periphery thereof at each end of the plug. In operation as illustrated in FIG. 1, the finger plug 22 may be rotated to suit the requirements of finger hole inclination and relative placement of the middle and ring finger holes with respect to the thumb hole of plug 18. The thumb plug 16 may be rotated to vary the inclination of the thumb hole to suit the bowlers requirements. When the plugs have been set to a desired position, both plugs, may be simultaneously locked in the desired position by insertion of the screw 32 into the threaded bore until the end of the screw engages the peripheral notches 30 cut in each plug, thereby to lock the plug in position. The head of the screw 32 is domed to match the exterior of the ball to present a continuous surface, preventing surface discontinuities. A slot 34 is provided to drive the screw. The slot is preferably of such width as to allow the insertion of a coin or a key therein so that the bowler may adjust his ball without the use of tools.

Should it be desirable during bowling to change the inclination of the finger holes, the screw 32 is merely backed off to allow the plug 22 to be withdrawn, turned end for end, and reinserted in the cavity 14. The finger holes 26 are thus at the exterior as illustrated in FIG. 5. These finger holes are provided with a different inclination to change the gripping and release characteristics of the ball.

Similarly, should it be desirable to change the span between the thumb and finger holes, the screw 32 may be backed oif to clear the plug 16 allowing its removal and reinsertion after being turned end for end. As shown in FIG. 5, the plugs 16 is then so positioned as to place the eccentric hole at the exterior of the ball. Rotation of the thumb plug with the eccentric hole at the exterior of the ball will change the span between the finger and thumb plugs. When the desired positioning is obtained, the screw is tightened to lock the two cavities simultaneously.

Thus, there is seen that utilizing the construction of the present invention, the bowler is provided with means for varying span and thumb hole inclination simultaneously or independently merely by reversal of the thumb plug. Similarly, by reversal of the finger plug, the inclination of the finger holes and the relative positioning thereof is variable. The different angles of the finger holes drilled into the plug from each end of the plug provide a simple and expedient means for altering the finger hole inclination to suit the conditions encountered by the player. Thus, for example, the player may change from 3 a slightly inclined hole, which is positionable so that the inclination follows the finger or is opposed to the finger insertion to a more highly inclined hole for more radical changes as the hands tire during play. The thumb plug allows variation in the gripping of the ball by variation of the angle of the inclination of the thumb hole and can be reversed to provide the same attributes with a change in span between finger and thumb plugs.

While the invention has been illustrated with two-hole finger plugs, it will be apparent that a single finger hole may be utilized in each side of the finger plug to provide the same effect with a two-hole ball.

This invention may be variously embodied and modified within the scope of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A bowling ball comprising a first cylindrical cavity extending inwardly from the surface thereof, a thumb plug fitting snugly in said first cavity and rotatable therein, said thumb plug having a thumb hole radially centered in one end of said plug and extending at an angle to the axis of said. plug to an eccentric position in the other end of said plug, a second cylindrical cavity extending inwardly from the surface of said ball, a finger plug fitting snugly in said second cavity and rotatable therein, said finger plug being provided with at least one finger hole extending inwardly from one end thereof at an angle to the axis of said plug, said finger plug being provided with at least one finger hole extending inwardly into said plug from the other end thereof, said second finger hole being inclined at a different angle with respect to the axis of said plug than said first finger hole, a threaded bore extending inwardly from the surface of said bore and intersecting said first and second cavities, a screw insertable into said threaded bore to engage said finger and thumb plugs simultaneously when screwed into said threaded bore.

2. A bowling ball in accordance with claim 1 in which said plugs are provided with peripheral grooves engaged by said screw when inserted in said threaded bore.

3. A bowling ball having a pair of spaced cylindrical bores therein with the axes thereof positioned at a predetermined angle intersecting substantially at the center of said ball, a removable plug coaxially fitted in each of said bores with the outer surface thereof coincident with the surface of said ball, screw means radially threaded in said ball between said plugs with the inner end thereof engaged with each said plug for locking the latter in said ball, one said plug having a pre-sized and pre-positioned thumb-hole therein, the other said plug having a pair of spaced pre-sized pre-positioned finger holes therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,080,307 Sondheimer Dec. 2, 1913 2,566,311 Bassi Sept. 4, 1951 2,991,079 Yettito July 4, 1961 

3. A BOWLING BALL HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED CYLINDRICAL BORES THEREIN WITH THE AXES THEREOF POSITIONED AT A PREDETERMINED ANGLE INTERSECTING SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE CENTER OF SAID BALL, A REMOVABLE PLUG COAXIALLY FITTED IN EACH OF SAID BORES WITH THE OUTER SURFACE THEREOF COINCIDENT WITH THE SURFACE OF SAID BALL, SCREW MEANS RADIALLY THREADED IN SAID BALL BETWEEN SAID PLUGS WITH THE INNER END THEREOF ENGAGED WITH EACH SAID PLUG FOR LOCKING THE LATTER IN SAID BALL, ONE SAID PLUG HAVING A PRE-SIZED AND PRE-POSITIONED 